Content migration consultant

Whether you’re a media agency who needs a database expert or a site owner looking for advice, my Drupal to WordPress migration service will simplify your site conversion. Some just want to get basic Drupal content into WordPress quickly. For others, exporting complex content like e-commerce transaction data is critical. Perhaps custom Drupal functionality needs to be replicated as a WordPress plugin. Maybe your client needs to export content and you want to focus on design. Whatever your needs, I will advise on the best course of action depending on what’s important to you.

Testimonials about my Drupal to WordPress migration service

Another Cup of Coffee has been fantastic to work with. Anthony is efficient and pleasant, always clearly communicating updates and challenges. Their work product was not only timely, it was excellent quality. All the way through this migration project, it has been a pleasure doing business with them!”– Kyle McCarthy, Family Travel Forum Inc.

Glad I hired Anthony. He’s very good at detailing requirements and providing extensive feedback during all steps of the contract’s progression. He’s an excellent communicator. As a client, that matters to me.– Alexandre Leroux, slashgeo

Great service, excellent communication. I’ve worked with a few different developers and no one can ever explain clearly what they are doing and why. Anthony knows his stuff and can explain it. He responds super quickly and says exactly what he is doing and how long it will take. I definitely will come back when I need another site migrated.– Tom, teachenglishinasia.net

Anthony and team were great! They handled our project of converting a very large & old Drupal website to WordPress very quickly and accurately. The process was painless and allowed us to launch two weeks ahead of schedule!– David Miyares from WTWH Media, LLC

Anthony helped us successfully migrate over 20,000 news stories and close to 10,000 tags from Drupal to WordPress within a few weeks. Anthony was very professional and quickly answered any inquiries or requests we had during the migration process. Highly recommended — he will do an amazing job!– Ron, WinBeta

Drupal migration pricing guide

Fees for my Drupal to WordPress migration service depend on how much you’d like me to do. You might be a creative professional who wants help with only the technical aspects of a client site migration. Perhaps you’re a site owner who needs someone to do everything from content migration to theme and plugin development. These examples will give you an idea of how much budget you should expect to allocate.

These are examples only so please get in touch for a quote for your migration requirements. I am based in the UK and US Dollar fees are shown as a guideline for international clients. Aside from credit card and bank transfer payments, I also accept Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin and Ether. Please let me know if you would like to pay using other cryptocurrencies.

Why can’t I just use a migration plugin and export the site myself?

There are several Drupal to WordPress migration plugins and automated services available. Maybe they’ll work for your site, in which case my migration service is not for you. Indeed, migration plugins can convert Drupal content that have a clearly defined counterpart within WordPress. They do fall short in some important ways, however. A great deal of the most valuable content is routinely configured in ways that need human decisions. Which migration approach should be taken? How closely will the approach meet your project’s goals? Will one WordPress plugin or another better suit your workflow? What kind of compromises must you make? These are critical decisions that cannot be automated.

If you’re looking for a Drupal to WordPress migration service, chances are that you’ve tried a plugin and it failed. Alternatively, you might recognise that you need advice from an expert. Many clients come to me because they tried a migration plugin and for some reason they weren’t satisfied with the results. A custom migration service will inevitably cost more than an off-the-shelf plugin but if your website plays an important role in your activity, human experience will provide more value than short-term savings.

What do you need to get started with a migration?

To get started with your project, I’ll need:

A MySQL dump file or access to your database;

Information about what kind of content you want to migrate. I can give you a more precise estimate for your migration project if you complete a Drupal to WordPress migration worksheet (hosted on Google Forms).

How is your Drupal to WordPress migration service different?

There are other options with a variety of pricing models. My Drupal to WordPress migration service is for media agencies and site owners who need a WordPress database specialist to work with them throughout the migration process. I understand that it’s often unnecessary to pay someone to do everything. For example, media agencies often have staff in-house who are great at design and front-end coding; they often don’t need to invest time investigating the inner workings of Drupal and WordPress. Site-owners without technical or programming skill can do some tasks manually using the WordPress dashboard, thereby reducing the overall budget needed.

You deal with me directly and I tailor the migration to the specific needs of your project. There are no set limits to the amount or type of content you can migrate. We work together closely to discover how best to approach the migration. Between us, we will strike a balance between your budget and work needed for you to comfortably take over your new WordPress site.

What is your Drupal to WordPress content export process?

I’ll first run a database diagnostic on a copy of your Drupal installation. This is to analyse the scope of the project and to check if there might be any issues with the migration. (Sometimes, previously installed buggy modules cause problems.) Once we’ve identified and fixed any potential issues, I’ll then run my standard migration script to get the first usable export. I define a ‘useable export’ as one where you can theoretically continue without my help, perhaps by finishing up through the WordPress control panel UI. You’re therefore never ‘locked in’ to my service.

At this stage you will have:

A basic installation of WordPress on a generic theme on my test server. This will let you inspect the migrated content to get an idea of how it will look at your end.

A MySQL dump file that you can import into your database.

For many site owners, manual finishing up of a typical Drupal to WordPress migration project can be quite tedious, especially on sites with lots of content, custom content types and functionality. An important part of what I do is saving you time by writing custom scripts that will fine-tune the results to your requirements. While the first export is fairly simple to run, further customisation is very much an iterative process of fine tuning until you’re satisfied with the end result. The more you need me to do, the more budget you’ll need.

How long does a migration project take?

On average, I recommend leaving at least six weeks from project sign-off. Large migration projects can take several months.

Will the amount of content be a factor in price, complexity or timescales?

No, the amount of content to be migrated is rarely a factor in project price, complexity and time. I write a set of custom migration scripts after analysing your site and requirements. The scripts can be run many times on your entire database and will do the ‘heavy lifting’ of the migration project. The major factors that usually affect project price, complexity and time are:

the number of custom content types;

replicating Drupal modules as WordPress plugins;

preserving SEO;

the web design process for custom themes.

What kind of migration tools and software do you use?

I use a variety of custom-built tools and scripts, mostly coded in Python, that I’ve built throughout the years. I also use freely available open source software like MySQL Workbench and phpMyAdmin.

David Coveney of Interconnect IT Ltd (UK). I used UI elements of Interconnect IT’s WordPress Search and Replace Tool as a starting point to create the in-house scripts on which this tool is based. WordPress (and others) Search and Replace Tool

Do you comply with GDPR?

Yes, I comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Under the GDPR, I’m classed as a data processor since my work involves obtaining, storing and processing databases which may contain personal information. As a small firm, the regulations are far more lenient for me. Nevertheless, in order to meet my clients’ own GDPR-compliance, I have put in place the following measures:

For each project, I only request the minimum amount of migration data to complete the project requirements.

I delete migration databases and backups within 90 days after a project close-down. This length of time is necessary and reasonable as completed projects can sometimes restart with new requirements.

I only work with third-party contractors or agencies who have been approved by my clients. When working with third-parties, I only transfer migration data to the contractor or agency after obtaining explicit permission from my client.

I only use services that are PCI, DPA and GDPR compliant.

I record migration database transfers to service providers in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Full-disk encryption; encrypted communications and file transfers; and two factor authentication are enabled whenever possible to help prevent data breaches.

In order to help detect if I’ve been breached, ‘bugs’ and ‘honeypots’ are implanted within my systems.

If a data breach occurs that poses a risk to people’s rights and freedoms, the project sponsor will be informed as soon as the breach is discovered.

Can I have more information about your Drupal to WordPress migration service?

If you need more information before starting your migration project, feel free to read through my archive of Drupal to WordPress migration posts. The following might be of particular interest: